A really grateful debut and what felt like a smart,well detailed legal thriller. It really felt to me like this was authentic and the author new her stuff. This made it feel true and real with the tension and naval and legal .aspects.
Karl was really interesting to get to follow and I found myself endeared to her and what she was doing now and also her passed. She's been through alot. Dug herself up and away from a family that has many troubles regarding her hometown. When she has to come home leaving her successfully creeping career trajectory its not easy. Especially with how people see her at home when they know her name.
But her brother needs her. He's had addiction problems and has been i rehabilitation. So shes home,shes here for him.
Whilst home she gets called to help a sailor who been suspected of murder. At once upon meeting him she believes in his innocence. So shes got a fight on her hands not only to gain his lost trust in our systems but also to prove hes not guilty for this.
This will lead her on a risky and dangerous path bit shes here for the fight. She knows what a hard passed can do, what instant judgments can do so there is more for her in this client. More shes willing to do and so she goes full force into it.
I really liked this book. It was smart right down to the character and plot lines. I never felt I didnt know exactly what I should to follow this and was invested i the outcome and how Kari would fair.

Terrific book!

I really enjoyed this book. The story line moved along very fast, the characters were engaging, particularly Kari, the female lead character. Kari, former Navy, is called upon to defend a Navy personnel for murder. She quickly becomes convinced of his innocence and starts to investigate the crime herself. Despite conflicts with local law enforcement, one of whom is a problem from her past, she puts herself in danger in order to free her client.

I liked her style, the way she interacted with Ahmed's family, and her support of her brother Jimmy. They both came from a horrible childhood but have survived and come out the other side stronger. Highly recommend. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

⭐ Book Rating: 3/5

Adrift had an interesting premise and definitely gave me that classic legal thriller vibe, which I appreciated. I liked the mix of courtroom drama, small-town tension, and the way Kari’s messy family history played into the story. It took a while to find its rhythm, though, and the pacing in the beginning made it a little hard to stay engaged. I can say, I did put this book down a few times and pick it back up to finish it in between books. It did not keep my attention from the start.

Kari, as a character, was ok; she was interesting enough to follow, but I felt like I never fully got to know her in depth here. We got a lot of background, but not enough about her now to feel truly connected. However, once the plot started to pick up, it became more interesting and had me connected enough to finish.

Overall, this wasn't a high hit for me, but it showed some good elements of a thriller. If you enjoy legal plots that have a big focus on courtroom elements and a flawed MC that shows a lot of determination, this might still be worth picking up.

Adrift is a fantastic debut thriller from K.T. Konkoly. The book grabbed me from the beginning and kept me hooked throughout. Kari Sharpe is a lawyer who made partner at a big firm in New York. Why then is she headed back to her hometown of Portland, Maine to open her own small practice? Kari's family has a sorted past in town with problems related to alcohol and drugs. The Sharpe's are not thought well of in town and Kari hasn't missed the way people treat her once they know who she's related to. Her parents are both dead as is one of her brothers. Jimmy, the only family she has left, is getting out of rehab and Kari wants to be around for him. Her brother, Jimmy, has been in rehab before and it only lasted a short while. Kari is hoping with her in town to keep an eye on him, that this time will be different. Jimmy is an alcoholic and gets into lots of trouble when he drinks.

Soon after Kari moves back, there are several murders that take place. Kari started her law career in the Navy JAG Corps and she gets a call from them to meet with a sailor stationed on board a ship in Portland. The police are there and want to meet with him, but the Navy wants Kari to speak with him first. The young man is the son of Somalia immigrants and that is making things worse for him in Maine. Kari believes he's innocent and does her best to represent him after he's arrested. This case will bring up a lot of bad memories from Kari's past involving the police and her family. Getting her client's family to trust her is another hurdle she must take on. Will Jimmy be able to stay sober and not get on the police's radar? Will Keri be able to solve the case of the young sailor and get justice for the murdered people? Adrift is a great read and I rate it 5 stars with my highest recommendation. If you love a good murder mystery don't miss this book! I'd like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of Adrift in exchange for a fair review. #Adrift

Debut author where?! Because this did not read like a first book. 👏 I’m usually not into the whole justice/lawyer storyline, but this one had me hooked from page one. The twists were spot-on and it kept me all in from the very first chapter. Consider me impressed (and low-key spoiled now for future debuts)

Adrift by K. T. Konkoly is an intriguing legal thriller.
This book was suspenseful, riveting, fast-paced, and pulse-pounding. The combination of an entertaining story line and lots of action makes this an intoxicating novel. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank You NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I’ve been on a Suspense Thriller reading kick lately. Adrift is more of a James Patterson law thriller from the past that I used to read, mixed with A Few Good Men. I liked that vibe. The story and characters do take some time to develop as everything gets pieced together, but it was entertaining overall.

I received an ARC from Amazon Publishing Creator Program, distributing through NetGalley in return for a fair review.
Adrift is book 1 in the Kari Sharpe Thriller Series. It's considered a legal thriller.
It took me from May 28th until August 20 to finish this book. I had to force myself to finish. It was for me on a personal level. It was too slow paced and very anticlimactic. It missed the mark for me in the thriller category as well.
I am typically generous with my ratings, to be fair.
And I had a hard time rating this one. After much consideration I settled with a 3 star because aside from my personal feelings I don't feel like it was poorly written or anything like that. I just don't think it was my cup of tea.

A well written legal thriller. Kari Sharpe has come home to Maine to help her brother but quickly finds herself embroiled in bigger issues, She's tapped to defend a sailor, who happens to be Somali, against murder charges. This lean in on racism, anti-immigration fervor. Kari is well crafted character. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Konkoly has made good use of her own background in this debut. I'll look for her again.

Adrift Kari by K.T. Konkoly is a debut legal thriller, and it's the first book in the Kari Sharpe series.

Kari Sharpe, a determined young lawyer, leaves her successful New York City practice to return to her hometown in Maine to help her troubled brother. Kari never anticipated going back to Maine, especially with her brother struggling with addiction. As she tries to establish a new law practice in a city where her family name carries a negative reputation, she is confronted by her past.

When a series of brutal murders rocks the coastal town, Kari is called by the Navy to defend a sailor accused of one of the crimes. Tensions rise as the city demands justice, and Kari must fight to prove her client's innocence, especially as he is the son of Somali immigrants.

Drawing from her experiences as a Navy and private practice lawyer, Konkoly creates a thrilling story filled with action and heart. As Kari confronts her family's legacy and battles to clear the sailor's name, she navigates a complex web of tragedy and hope.

I'm wondering if I read the same book as everyone else. The struggle was real! I usually finish a book a day on average, but this one took me four days to get through. I couldn't get into it at all. If it weren't an ARC, I probably would have put it down.

Typically, I’m generous with my ratings, but I can only give this one two stars because I managed to finish it. However, I want to emphasise that my opinion shouldn't influence yours; many readers have rated this book with 5 stars!

Adrift by K. T. Konkoly is a gripping legal thriller with rich characters, high stakes, and a compelling mix of personal struggle and courtroom drama. Kari’s determination and resilience make her a protagonist worth rooting for. I truly enjoyed this book and rated it five stars.

This is the second debut I read this month that really knocked it out of the park!! 🙌

Loved the Kari character, and even warmed up to Clark by the end! I actually teared up a bit at one point, I was that invested! Highly recommend this one, especially if you love legal thrillers! 👏

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and K.T. Konkoly for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️ Looking forward to reading more from this author!

ADRIFT - What an interesting, intriguing, and well written story. I enjoyed the well thought out and immersing story lines, the interesting characters, and the lack of common stupidity that runs rampant in many of the other books I have read. Kari is proof of what a human can do to rise above and beyond her beginnings, and she's a likeable character. I found the Somali community a treat, not one pirate in the bunch. Source: Netgalley. 5*

I tore through this book. If you’re into strong female leads, legal drama, and small-town secrets, Adrift needs to be your next read.

Kari Sharpe is everything I want in a main character; tough, messy, smart, and trying like hell to do the right thing. She walks away from a huge law career in Manhattan to come back to Maine and help her brother, who’s battling addiction. And the second she shows up, the town makes it clear they haven’t forgotten her family’s bad reputation. She's already got a full plate before a brutal murder case lands in her lap.

A sailor is accused, the public wants someone to blame, and Kari’s the only one standing between him and a life sentence. What I loved is that the case is so much more than just legal drama. It dives into race, politics, family, and justice in a way that feels really timely and personal.

The Maine setting adds so much; moody, atmospheric, and just tense enough to feel like something could go wrong at any second. And the pacing is perfect. Every time I thought I could stop reading for the night, something big happened.

This one pulled me in from page one and never let up. Kari feels like a character you want to follow again and again. I really hope this becomes a series, because I’m not done with her yet.

Incredible debut from K.T. Konkoly! Whenever I hear it's an author's first book, I come in with no expectations - suffice it to say, this debut effort was well-worth taking a chance on thanks to NetGalley.

Drawing on her experience as both a Navy and private practice lawyer in Maine, Konkoly crafts a thriller with both action and heart. Kari Sharpe has overcome her background and thrived outside her hometown while in the Big Apple, only to find herself back in Portland to build a practice while revisiting demons from her past. With a cast of supporting characters that both frustrate and give you hope, she takes on a seemingly impossible task to represent a navy man accused of murder. Getting to the bottom of it requires all her skills and an opportunity to make peace with those demons while doing so. I was intrigued and enjoyed this one all the way through to the satisfying conclusion.

K.T. Konkoly proves that, along with her husband Steven, there are two excellent writers in their household! I'm very much looking forward to volume 2 down the road.

Adrift is a legal thriller, which is different from my usual reads, but I couldn’t put it down. While it is told in third-person omniscient with multiple POVs, it was so easy to follow and full of suspense. I loved the main character, Kari Sharpe. She is a former Navy JAG turned private attorney—who returns home to Maine to assist her brother who is struggling with his sobriety. Kari takes on a case that involves a sailor being wrongly accused for a murder. The story blends legal drama, family tension, racial injustice, and emotional depth perfectly. I loved the growth within the characters and their relationships. Highly recommend if you love a layered, character-driven story with a strong female lead!

It's hard to believe that this is a debut because it's so good. The pacing is perfect. The writing is good. Characters are well written.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was the amazing! From chapter 1 I was hooked! The main character leaves her life behind in NY to help care for her brother back in their home town. While there was 3 murders. And a person in the Navy was blamed for one of those murders. However; she knows he's innocent and needs to prove it. Now I dont want to give away and spoilers. But does she prove his innocence?. Or does she run out of time and now a potential innocent man is in jail? Or did she realize he's connected to all 3 murders? Time for you to read and find out. Happy reading.

Really enjoyed the book! The characters, plot, setting all connected together perfectly. It was a fast paced thriller that kept you wanting more.

Well-written legal drama with the military and civilian environments clashing as standards and attitudes meet head-on